E tū welcomes sale of Solid Energy assets as good for jobs

1
2

Screen Shot 2016-09-27 at 7.18.17 am

E tū has welcomed the sale of Solid Energy’s assets, saying it’s good news for jobs and as good an outcome as could be expected.

E tū’s Director of Industries, Ged O’Connell says subject to regulatory approval, the mines appear to have been salvaged and the assets will soon be in the hands of New Zealand-owned operators.

“It means jobs for our members and some pay-back for creditors, so that’s good”, he says.

“It will also mean income flowing through local communities so it’s positive news all round”.
Ged says of the three operators which will buy the mines; “We’re confident they are well-established businesses and they know the industry.

“Bathurst, which is one of the parties which has acquired Stockton on the West Coast as well as Rotowaro and Maramarua in Waikato, is a competent operator which we have an established relationship with.”

Ged says E tū is also familiar with Greenbriar which has bought the New Vale and Ohai mines, through its involvement with the re-regulation of the quarry industry over the past five years.
He says Birchfield, which has bought the Strongman and Liverpool mines “is also well-known to us. They’re long-time West Coast operators.”

Garth Elliott, E tū’s organiser on the West Coast, where the Stockton and Strongman mines are located says, “It’s very positive news that obviously the bigger mines, and some of the smaller ones are going to go into new ownership and are going to continue.

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

“It’s a positive move forward compared with what the membership has had to deal with over the last few years.

“There’s more security so that’s good for them”, says Garth.

1 COMMENT

Comments are closed.